


We've Got a Thing Going On

by ac1d6urn (Acid), Sinick



Series: The Price of Magic [3]
Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, Ficlet, Ghosts, M/M, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-22
Updated: 2010-07-22
Packaged: 2017-10-10 18:12:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/102621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acid/pseuds/ac1d6urn, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinick/pseuds/Sinick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Price of Magic ficlet, set soon after the end of Price</p>
            </blockquote>





	We've Got a Thing Going On

“Hermione?”

Hermione yanked her half of the sheets off Neville and over her head.

“You awake?”

_What sort of a question is that? As if I could say 'No'!_ 

"What?" Hermione lowered the sheet and glared at the nightlight glow on the ceiling.

_But we haven't got a nightlight... _Hermione rubbed her eyes and peered blearily upwards. _Oh._

Harry hovered over their bed. His hair was unruly enough to rival the Albert Einstein poster on the far wall. “Um - Don't be mad. I, I just wanted to say something-"

Hermione yawned. "Go on."

Harry toed the air with his trainer. "Y'know before, how you said I could stay here with you..."

_Oh dear. Trouble._ Hermione blinked the sleep from her eyes. "Of course! You don't have to ask, silly."

"Nonono," Harry stopped her mid-offer. "Remember how I said 'no' 'cause I was staying with Severus, and you said that I liked him; and then you offered again, and I said I wanted to stay at Hogwarts, and I did, and then" - the widest grin lit up his face - "Severus came back! Um. Anyway, what I'm saying is, I didn't tell you before but, we - Severus and I - " he faltered, then blurted all at once "we'vegotathing!”

"Oh."_ 'A thing.' _Hermione smiled inwardly. _What a way to describe being head-over-heels in love. But then, Harry's never been conventional. _"That's good."

"It _is!_" Harry's instinctive beam faded into an uncertain look. "Um. So you're all right with that? With, er..." he ran a hand through his hair, distractedly shoving the glowing mass off his brow, "...Severus'n'me." His expression turned sheepish. "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Hermione couldn't hold back the chuckle. "Any sooner than now and the only reaction you'd get would be snoring." And before then, Fred and George had kept up the tall tales and bragging all night, ever since Tonks and Lupin dragged them away from Hogwarts and back to 'civilization'. "And it's fine. I had an idea already, from something the Twins said." _More like told us over and over, with more lurid details each time. But then, what else would Fred and George do when they Floo into the Great Hall and see a clinch like that?_

"Oh." Harry blushed blue. “I'd hoped they hadn't spotted us snogging."

Hermione gave him the sort of look she always used to give him for not reading 'Hogwarts: A History' from cover to cover.

The blush deepened. "S'not like they caught us shagging on the high table! Um." His eyes widened. "Did they say they did?"

An ominous breeze blew through the room. Harry paused. "Er, I s'pose I'd better go. I didn't tell Severus I'd be...”

As if on cue, a darker presence loomed out of the shadows. “Truant!" a familiar deep voice grumbled, "I've been looking all over the castle for you.”

Hermione held her breath, impressed despite herself by the spectral Snape. While Harry shone with multihued sparks, Snape's iridescence was subtle as an oilslick's sheen.

"Missed you too!" Harry looked up, unrepentant, into that dark stare. "Bye, Hermione," Harry waved, and then fired Snape a cheeky grin, "Race you back!" He faded just before a pale hand flicked out, grabbing for his ear. Snape tsked dryly; his lips thinned, perhaps disapproving, perhaps repressing an answering smile.

The clock chose that moment to chime four. Hermione sighed at the reminder, and Snape regarded her gravely.

"I apologise for the disturbance. He mentioned wanting to speak with you, but - optimist that I am - I thought he'd choose a decent hour to do so." The dark gaze turned suddenly searching. "What did he tell you?”

"That you and he 'hadathing'." Hermione did a fair job of imitating Harry's breathless excitement; after all, she'd had years of exposure. "It was good to have it confirmed. Finally." she smiled. “Though I can't imagine why he thought it might come as a surprise. Anyone could tell after seeing him talk about you for one minute.”

Snape blinked at that, but the next moment his usual smirk was back in place. “From seven years of experience as his Professor, it was clear that Harry tends to miss the obvious.”

"It took you seven years to notice that?"

"Hardly!" Snape huffed, affronted. "Gryffindors!"

"Hmph! Men!"

"Gryffindor men," Snape clarified, "Or a Gryffindor ghost."

“Hermione...” mumbled Neville into the pillow. He cracked open one eyelid and immediately his eyes went wide. “P-PROFESSOR!” He leapt from the bed, but his dash for the door was thwarted by the sheets that tangled round his legs. He landed on the floor with a thud.

“You were right," Hermione sighed to Snape. "Gryffindor men."

“I am always right," Snape informed her loftily, before adding with an air of noblesse oblige, "I suppose I had better go and see if the castle is still standing. Good morning, Hermione..." He glided to loom over Neville, giving him the smile of a creature with an XXXXX classification, "...Mister Granger." And with that he faded into the darkness, as slowly and gracefully as a Cheshire Manticore.


End file.
